Acid stimulation is commonly employed to increase the permeability of subterranean formations for oil, gas, and water wells. In particular, these stimulation techniques include matrix acidizing and acid fracturing. In matrix acidizing, an acid typically permeates into channels without inducing any fractures within the formation. However, with acid fracturing, the fluid is supplied with sufficient pressure to induce fractures in the formation. Regardless, both techniques employ acids to dissolve and remove minerals, such as limestone and sand, from the formations thereby allowing fluids to flow into the wells.
Some of the acids commonly employed for these acidizing treatments including hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, acetic acid, citric acid, and mixtures thereof. However, employing such acids tends to increase the rate of corrosion of the equipment employed in such processes. The corrosion can also occur due to the presence of other chemical agents, including hydrogen sulfide, brines, carbon dioxide, and other acids, and other matter, including sand, rocks, and microorganisms.
Additionally, the corrosion can be exacerbated by the elevated temperatures and pressures typically encountered in deeper formations. Therefore, corrosion of equipment employed in these acidizing processes can lead to extraordinary costs for repair and/or replacement.
To inhibit corrosion, corrosion inhibitors can be employed. Corrosion inhibitors may be formed as a coating on a surface which comes into contact with corrosive agents and/or can be employed in production lines, pipelines, etc. with the acidizing solutions. Some of these corrosion inhibitors include formaldehyde-containing Mannich bases, fatty acid derivatives, and dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid. However, various problems, including toxicity, environmental concerns, and costs, exist with current corrosion inhibitors.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved corrosion inhibitor composition for inhibiting corrosion on a surface. In particular, there is a need for such inhibition during acidizing treatments during the production of oil, gas, and/or water wells.